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GUEST: Stephen Braun, co-author of “Merchant of Death: Money, Guns, Planes, and the Man Who Makes War Possible”

Last Thursday Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, aka the “Merchant of Death,” was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand. The 41 year old Bout has sold weapons to fighters in some of the world’s most violent conflicts over the last ten years. Bout was lured and then arrested by US Drug Enforcement Administration agents posing as members of FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Known as the most powerful global player in arms trafficking, Bout is suspected of supplying arms to the Taliban and Al Qaeda, and providing huge arms shipments into various civil wars in Africa with his own private air fleet. According to recent reports, he is also suspected of involvement in the Iraq war. Yuri Orlov, Nicolas Cage’s character in the 2005 film Lord of War is apparently inspired by Viktor Bout.

For more information, visit www.merchantofdeathbook.com.

Read an excerpt of Merchant of Death here: http://www.mensvogue.com/business/blackbook/articles/2007/06/viktor_bout